Improvement in fluid-meters



G. E.PEGK. i Fluid-Meters.

Patented Nov.,10, 1874.

Ulli

UNITED STATES PATEN'I" OFFICE.

GEORGE E. PEOK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO AUSTIN WISWALL, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN FLUID-METERS.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 156,814, dated November l0, 1674 application filed September 3, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. PEoK, of Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fluid-Meters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical section transverse to the axis of revolution. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the axis of revolution. Fig. 3 is an elevation of a part of the registering cylinder. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of 011e of the register-wings detached.

This invention relates to that class of fluidmeters which are provided with a revolving cylinder having win gs hinged on its periphery and a retaining cylindrical case. The principal requisite to render a meter of this character reliable is absence of friction. The unregistered leakage is directly in proportion to the frictional resistance to be overcome by the moving parts, and where frictional contact exists between the moving and stationary parts the resistance will be a constantly varying quantity, owing to abrasion or the presence of obstructing matter. It is, therefore, necessary that 4the registering devices shall iioat, as it were, in the current to be measured; and my invention, therefore, consists, rst, in the construction and arrangement of the win gs, whereby they are enabled to open and close automatically without contact with the containing case, second, in the water-packing.

That others may fully understand my iinprovement, I will more particularly describe it.

A is a.` cylindrical case, provided With inlet and outlet ports 'a b in its periphery, but on opposite sides thereof. The ends of this Vcylindrical case are closed by plates c d, in the centers of which are boxes for the journals of the registering wheel or cylinder B, which is accurately iitted longitudinally between said head-plates, though not. so closely as to permit actual contact. The register-wheel B has a peripheral flange, c c, at each end to receive the journal-pins of the wings C C O, of

which there are as many as may be required. The Asaid wings are rectangular in shape longitudinally, and transversely they are curved in conformity with the curvature of the periphery of the register-wheel B, as shown at C', so that, when closed down upon the surface of said register, their backs conform to the cylindrical outline thereof. When said wings are open they stand out radially from the surface of the wheel B, and close the space between said wheel and the inner surface of the cylinder A, Without, however, coming in frictional contact anywhere with the surface of said cylinder. These conditions are fully shown in the drawings. The end plates c d are recessed to a depth equal to the thickness of the anges e, so as to receive said flanges, as shown. A cut-off, D, is placed within the cylinder A, a-t some point between the outlet and inlet ports b a., to prevent rotation 0f uid with the revolving wheel. Each wing O O C" is constructed with a tail-piece, t, which, as said wing opens, closes into a recess, r, made in the periphery of the wheel B, resting against the rear side of said recess, to pre veilt the wing from opening too far.

The presencewof back or dead water within the case A is employed by me to effect the automatic closing of the wings without friction against the stationary parts, and without jar. Backwater within the recesses r operates in the same manner to prevent the too sudden opening of the wings with concussion or jar of the tail-piece t against the side of the said recess. When the wing C, forl instance, passes the outlet b into the backwater in the space S between said wing and the cut-oil' D, the resistance of said backwater causes the said 4wing to close-in the position shown at C', and it remains in that position until it passes beyond the cut-off D, when it immediately yields to gravity and centrifugal force, and opens again to receive the current entering the inlet-port a. The film of water along the surface ofthe cut-oil' lubricates the back of the wing in passing, so that there is no friction along said surface.

lf the wheel B should be arrested in its revolution, the pressure of water behind it would cause a leakage through all the spaces intervenin g between said wheel and its shell; but when the Wheel B is revolving the centrifugal motion imparted to these interposed films of Water-packings neutralizes the pressure which would produce the leakage, and this effect is insured, so far as the cylindric heads are concerned, by one or more concentric grooves or channels, q g, cut in the ends of the wheels B, or in the inner head-surface of the case A. These grooves or channels catch and obstruct the iiow of the film of water-packing and retard its escape. Similar grooves may be made along the edges of the wings C. rIhe front edges of the wings are made thin, as shown in Fig. 4, but a central rib, z', strengthens it and prevents it from closing down closely upon the surface of the Wheel B. If, then, the win g fails to open at the proper moment, from an obstruction which may have lodged behind it, the current entering the inlet a will catch under said edge and immediately force it to open. The end of the tail t is also made thin, lout for an opposite purpose, viz., to assist, by the Waterpressure behind it,in keeping the win g closed While passing the cut-off D.

It will appear, from the above description, that there is no frictional contact between the registering-wheel B and its inclosing case A, and that the spaces intervening between said wheel and case will loe effectually packed against leakage by the iluid which is being measured. The force of the iiowing current is exerted against the lower part of the registering-wheel, and tends to lift it from its bearing in its journal-boxes, so that the friction in said boxes is reduced in proportion to thepressure in the main; and it may be reduced still further to the minimum by properly weighting the said wheel, so that its displacement will exactly equal its Weight in a flowing and conined current under a given pressure. This proper weighting or balancing will usually be accomplished by lightening the wheel, and this is accomplished by boring out its central part7 as shown at I), or otherwise making it hollow. Said cavities are covered by plates p.

The recording mechanism may be coupled to the recording-wheel B in any convenient way; but I prefer to place it in a chamber, E, within the shell A and actuate it by the rotation of the pin q, which is set in the end ofthe journal of the wheel B. 'Ihe chamber E is filled with water, and therefore no water-tight boxes need be provided for shafts to transmit motion to the recording mechanism.

The record or dial may be viewed through an opening, O, which is covered by a glass plate sealed to prevent the escape of the inclosed fluid. By these means friction is avoided and the recording apparatus is placed beyond the reach of interference.

Having described my invention, wh at I claim as new isl. The combination of the case A with the registering-wheel B, provided with the hinged wings C, and the whole adjusted to revolve within said case without frictional contact, in the manner set forth.

2. The win g C, constructed with a thin front edge and a rib, t', substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with the wing C, the tail t, fitted to close into and against the backwater cushion within the recess i, substantially for the purpose set forth.

4. The wing C, constructed with the tail t, with its edge sharpened to take backwaterpressure in passing the cut-off, to keep the said wing closed, as set forth.

GEO. E. BECK.

Attest: v

R. D. O. SMITH, F. B. ToWNsEND. 

